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Psalm 48-50
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 48-50
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 48
The Glory and Strength of Zion
A Song. A Psalm of the Korahites.
1 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain,(A) 2 beautiful in elevation,
is the joy of all the earth,
Mount Zion, in the far north,
the city of the great King.(B)
3 Within its citadels God
has shown himself a sure defense.(C)
4 Then the kings assembled;
they came on together.(D)
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded;
they were in panic; they took to flight;(E)
6 trembling took hold of them there,
pains as of a woman in labor,
7 as when an east wind shatters
the ships of Tarshish.(F)
8 As we have heard, so have we seen
in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God establishes forever. Selah
9 We ponder your steadfast love, O God,
in the midst of your temple.
10 Your name, O God, like your praise,
reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with victory.(G)
11 Let Mount Zion be glad;
let the towns[a] of Judah rejoice
because of your judgments.(H)
12 Walk about Zion; go all around it;
count its towers;
13 consider well its ramparts;
go through its citadels,
that you may tell the next generation(I)
14 that this is God,
our God forever and ever.
He will be our guide forever.(J)
Psalm 49
The Folly of Trust in Riches
To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.
1 Hear this, all you peoples;
give ear, all inhabitants of the world,(K)
2 both low and high,
rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom;
the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.(L)
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.(M)
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble,
when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,(N)
6 those who trust in their wealth
and boast of the abundance of their riches?(O)
7 Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life;[b]
there is no price one can give to God for it.(P)
8 For the ransom of life is costly
and can never suffice,(Q)
9 that one should live on forever
and never see the Pit.(R)
10 When we look at the wise, they die;
fool and dolt perish together
and leave their wealth to others.(S)
11 Their graves[c] are their homes forever,
their dwelling places to all generations,
though they named lands their own.(T)
12 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
they are like the animals that perish.(U)
13 Such is the fate of the foolhardy,
the end of those[d] who are pleased with their lot. Selah(V)
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
Death shall be their shepherd;
straight to the grave they descend,[e]
and their form shall waste away;
Sheol shall be their home.[f](W)
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me. Selah(X)
16 Do not be afraid when some become rich,
when the wealth of their houses increases.(Y)
17 For when they die they will carry nothing away;
their wealth will not go down after them.(Z)
18 Though in their lifetime they count themselves happy
—for you are praised when you do well for yourself—(AA)
19 they[g] will go to the company of their ancestors,
who will never again see the light.(AB)
20 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp;
they are like the animals that perish.(AC)
Psalm 50
The Acceptable Sacrifice
A Psalm of Asaph.
1 The mighty one, God the Lord,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.(AD)
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.(AE)
3 Our God comes and does not keep silent;
before him is a devouring fire
and a mighty tempest all around him.(AF)
4 He calls to the heavens above
and to the earth, that he may judge his people:(AG)
5 “Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!”(AH)
6 The heavens declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge. Selah(AI)
7 “Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
O Israel, I will testify against you.
I am God, your God.(AJ)
8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
your burnt offerings are continually before me.(AK)
9 I will not accept a bull from your house
or goats from your folds.(AL)
10 For every wild animal of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.(AM)
11 I know all the birds of the air,[h]
and all that moves in the field is mine.
12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
for the world and all that is in it is mine.(AN)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,[i]
and pay your vows to the Most High.(AO)
15 Call on me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”(AP)
16 But to the wicked God says,
“What right have you to recite my statutes
or take my covenant on your lips?(AQ)
17 For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.(AR)
18 You make friends with a thief when you see one,
and you keep company with adulterers.(AS)
19 You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your kin;
you slander your own mother’s child.(AT)
21 These things you have done, and I have been silent;
you thought that I was one just like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.(AU)
22 Mark this, then, you who forget God,
or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to deliver.(AV)
23 Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honor me;
to those who go the right way,[j]
I will show the salvation of God.”
Footnotes
- 48.11 Heb daughters
- 49.7 Or no one can ransom a brother
- 49.11 Gk Syr Compare Tg: Heb their inward thought
- 49.13 Tg: Heb after them
- 49.14 Cn: Heb the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning
- 49.14 Meaning of Heb uncertain
- 49.19 Cn: Heb you
- 50.11 Gk Syr Tg: Heb mountains
- 50.14 Or make thanksgiving your sacrifice to God
- 50.23 Heb who set a way
Psalm 48-50
New International Version
Psalm 48-50
New International Version
Psalm 48[a]
A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.
1 Great is the Lord,(A) and most worthy of praise,(B)
in the city of our God,(C) his holy mountain.(D)
2 Beautiful(E) in its loftiness,
the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon[b](F) is Mount Zion,(G)
the city of the Great King.(H)
3 God is in her citadels;(I)
he has shown himself to be her fortress.(J)
4 When the kings joined forces,
when they advanced together,(K)
5 they saw her and were astounded;
they fled in terror.(L)
6 Trembling seized(M) them there,
pain like that of a woman in labor.(N)
7 You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish(O)
shattered by an east wind.(P)
8 As we have heard,
so we have seen
in the city of the Lord Almighty,
in the city of our God:
God makes her secure
forever.[c](Q)
9 Within your temple, O God,
we meditate(R) on your unfailing love.(S)
10 Like your name,(T) O God,
your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;(U)
your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Mount Zion rejoices,
the villages of Judah are glad
because of your judgments.(V)
12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
count her towers,(W)
13 consider well her ramparts,(X)
view her citadels,(Y)
that you may tell of them
to the next generation.(Z)
14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide(AA) even to the end.
Psalm 49[d]
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.
1 Hear(AB) this, all you peoples;(AC)
listen, all who live in this world,(AD)
2 both low and high,(AE)
rich and poor alike:
3 My mouth will speak words of wisdom;(AF)
the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.(AG)
4 I will turn my ear to a proverb;(AH)
with the harp(AI) I will expound my riddle:(AJ)
5 Why should I fear(AK) when evil days come,
when wicked deceivers surround me—
6 those who trust in their wealth(AL)
and boast(AM) of their great riches?(AN)
7 No one can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for them—
8 the ransom(AO) for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough—(AP)
9 so that they should live on(AQ) forever
and not see decay.(AR)
10 For all can see that the wise die,(AS)
that the foolish and the senseless(AT) also perish,
leaving their wealth(AU) to others.(AV)
11 Their tombs(AW) will remain their houses[e] forever,
their dwellings for endless generations,(AX)
though they had[f] named(AY) lands after themselves.
13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,(BB)
and of their followers, who approve their sayings.[g]
14 They are like sheep and are destined(BC) to die;(BD)
death will be their shepherd
(but the upright will prevail(BE) over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;(BF)
he will surely take me to himself.(BG)
16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing(BH) with them when they die,
their splendor will not descend with them.(BI)
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—(BJ)
and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them,(BK)
who will never again see the light(BL) of life.
Psalm 50
A psalm of Asaph.
1 The Mighty One, God, the Lord,(BO)
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to where it sets.(BP)
2 From Zion,(BQ) perfect in beauty,(BR)
God shines forth.(BS)
3 Our God comes(BT)
and will not be silent;(BU)
a fire devours(BV) before him,(BW)
and around him a tempest(BX) rages.
4 He summons the heavens above,
and the earth,(BY) that he may judge his people:(BZ)
5 “Gather to me this consecrated people,(CA)
who made a covenant(CB) with me by sacrifice.”
6 And the heavens proclaim(CC) his righteousness,
for he is a God of justice.[h][i](CD)
7 “Listen, my people, and I will speak;
I will testify(CE) against you, Israel:
I am God, your God.(CF)
8 I bring no charges(CG) against you concerning your sacrifices
or concerning your burnt offerings,(CH) which are ever before me.
9 I have no need of a bull(CI) from your stall
or of goats(CJ) from your pens,(CK)
10 for every animal of the forest(CL) is mine,
and the cattle on a thousand hills.(CM)
11 I know every bird(CN) in the mountains,
and the insects in the fields(CO) are mine.
12 If I were hungry I would not tell you,
for the world(CP) is mine, and all that is in it.(CQ)
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls
or drink the blood of goats?
14 “Sacrifice thank offerings(CR) to God,
fulfill your vows(CS) to the Most High,(CT)
15 and call(CU) on me in the day of trouble;(CV)
I will deliver(CW) you, and you will honor(CX) me.”
16 But to the wicked person, God says:
“What right have you to recite my laws
or take my covenant(CY) on your lips?(CZ)
17 You hate(DA) my instruction
and cast my words behind(DB) you.
18 When you see a thief, you join(DC) with him;
you throw in your lot with adulterers.(DD)
19 You use your mouth for evil
and harness your tongue to deceit.(DE)
20 You sit and testify against your brother(DF)
and slander your own mother’s son.
21 When you did these things and I kept silent,(DG)
you thought I was exactly[j] like you.
But I now arraign(DH) you
and set my accusations(DI) before you.
Footnotes
- Psalm 48:1 In Hebrew texts 48:1-14 is numbered 48:2-15.
- Psalm 48:2 Zaphon was the most sacred mountain of the Canaanites.
- Psalm 48:8 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 49:1 In Hebrew texts 49:1-20 is numbered 49:2-21.
- Psalm 49:11 Septuagint and Syriac; Hebrew In their thoughts their houses will remain
- Psalm 49:11 Or generations, / for they have
- Psalm 49:13 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verse 15.
- Psalm 50:6 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text for God himself is judge
- Psalm 50:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
- Psalm 50:21 Or thought the ‘I am’ was
- Psalm 50:23 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; the meaning of the Masoretic Text for this phrase is uncertain.
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
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